Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-06

anasl.a.sa.a.s.....s..sesena
tcenth centuries, of many
large investments made in this
direction by grooms eager to
conciliate their brides and be in fash
ion. The revulsion made the ring what
we now have, n plain gold circlet;
though, by n compromise, the ring may
be as costly as fancy dictates or means
permit.
The materials of which wedding
rings have been composed are as diverse
as the nations which have used the
ring. The British museum has rings Of
bone and of hard wood, found in the
Swiss lakes; on one of the bone rings is
traced heart, giving antiquaries rea-
son to believe that the ring was a pledge
of affection, if not a wedding ring.
The same museum has rings from all
parts of the earth-of bone, ivory, cop
per, brass, lead, tin, iron, silver, gold,
and some of composite of several of
these metals. One ivory ring, from an
Egyptian tomb, bears two clasped
hands; an iron ring, having the design
of a hand closing over a heart, once
graced the hand of a Roman matron;
while the inscriptions on many others
make it certain that they were wedding
rings.
The use of many different materials
in the construction of these wedding
rings does not indicate capri ciOus
changes of fashion, for it should be re-
membered that museums and collections
of antiquities comprise specimens of
many ages and of widely separated
lands, but there is no doubt that fashion
has sometimes had an influence in de-
termining the style and material of the
ring. For instance, during the latter
nut pf tvtn ant, &c.
| for some time prevailed in France of
| making
THE WEDDING RING
consist of several links fastened to-
| gether in such a way as to seem but
| one. Sometimes there were three, two
, links having craven hands and the
third a heart, the union of the three in
the proper position clasping the hands
over the heart. During the palmy days
of astrology there was quite a fashion in
| Germany of the wedding rings engraved
characters, the horoscopes of both the
contracting parties being sometimes in
dicated in the setting of the ring, that
being also tho golden age of
the quack doctor, wedding rings
were often made with cavity to con-
tain medical preparations or charms to
preserve or restore health or avert evil.
After the crusades had set Europe in a
flame, practice became common in
France, Germany and England, of wear
ing rings the settings of which was a
tiny fragment of wood from the true
| cross, and many of these rings are still
preserved in the cabinets and museums
OF Europe. Ass-hoof rings were, in the
seventeenth century, very popular
among the Spanish peasants as cure
for epilepsy: and such ring, made, it
was said. from the hoof of the ass which
carried Christ into Jerusalem, was used
in a wedding in a country church near
Madrid in 1881
But when the ring was not plain, pre-
cious stones of some kind constituted
the settings; and when the selection of
the stone was In question, the domi-
nance of fashion was absolute. In
the fourteen century, a fan
ciful Italian writer on the
mystic arts set forth the vir-
tues of the various gems, indicating
also the month in which it was proper
to wear particular stones in order to Sc
cure the best RESULT. The idea took, and
for some time it was the fashion in sew
eral Italian cities to have the precious
stone of the ring determined by the
month in which the bride was born. If
in January, the stone was Il garnet, be-
lieved to have the power of winning the
wearer friends wherever she went. If
in February, her ring was set with an
amethyst, which not only promoted in
her the quality of sincerity, but pro-
tected her from poison and from SLAM
derous tongues. The blood-stone was
for March, making her wise, and en-
abling her with patience to bear domes-
tic cares; the diamond for April, keep
ing her heart innocent and pure so long
| H., @Ln, A
May made her a happy wife; while an
agate, for June, gave her health and
protection from fairies and ghosts. If
born in July, the stone was ruby,
which tended to keep her free from
jealousy of her husband; while in
August, the sardonyx made her
happy in the maternal relation. In
September, a sapphire was the proper
stone, it preventing quarrels between
the welded pair; in October, car
buncle was chosen, to promote her love
of home. The November born bride
wore topaz, it having the gift of max
ing her truthful and obedient to her
husband: while in December the tur-
quoise insured her faithfulness. Among
the German country folk, the last
named stone is to the present day used
as setting for the betrothal ring and
so long as it retains its color, is believed
TO indicate tne conStancy Vi lhe wear
ers.
From Italy this fanclful notion spread
: to France, and France bridegrooms
, would sometimes insure themselves
, against bad matrimonial bargain and,
as far as they could, guarantee to their
brides variety of good qualities by
presenting twelve rings, one for each
/ month, with occasionally one or two
extra as special charms. However, this
extravaganza in the number of rings
used at weddings is not a solitary in
, stance, for the use Of several rings at
the marriage ceremony has often been
known. Four rings placed on her hand
: her marriage could not keep Mary
: Stuart faithful to Darnley; and the an
} nails of European courts record many In
stances similar, both as to the rings and
to the result The Greek church uses
two rings, one of gold, the other OF sill